Top 6 must-have bike accessories!

The 6 Firsts After Your New Bike

by Isabel Velez

The essential bike accessories

Lock, lights, helmet, floor pump, repair kit and lockable skewers.

The cycling community is relatively small and can be intimidating for those who have only taken the first step of buying a brand new bike. If you don’t really know where to go from there, then this H&S guide is for you. We’re to help you learn cycling at its best. Whether you’re a first time buyer or an avid pro, we’re here to help. The crew and I put this small article together to give you a few suggestions of what you can get in our store while buying your new bike.

1. A Bike lock Suggestion: We suggest anything that’s not a cable lock. Although they are light and awesome for a quick trip to a place where you can keep an eye on your bike, they are unbelievably easy to cut through. A solid lock such as a U-lock (Kryptonite) or a chain lock (Abus) would be ideal. Price: $25-$70 Unless your bike looks like it was just dragged under a car for five miles on a highway, chances are it’s going to catch someone’s eye. Keep your bike safe, unless you’d like a new one (which we could help you with too).

2. Bike lights
Suggestion: Lights vary in size, lumens, and battery life. We highly suggest anything rechargeable. Our favorites are Serfas and Blackburn lights. Price: $15 and up When it comes to light safety is key. For the most part, the brighter the light the higher the price, but it is all preference. The important question is… Would you like to see? Or be seen?

3. Helmets
Suggestion: This varies on the type of style or riding you prefer, we suggest you come in, try on a couple for size and see what looks and feels best. Brands vary but we carry Cannondale, Smith, LG, Kask, Giant, Giro, Bern, Fox, Lazer and Bell. Price: $45 and up. A lot of people look at helmets as an inconvenience. They make you sweaty, mess up your hair and most of everyone can agree they are not the most attractive thing out there. You can prioritize however you’d like, but we worry more about the people out there who do not prioritize the safety of our small community of cyclist. Not just drivers, but the perfect pothole, sand spot or squirrel can send you down pretty fast into who knows what or how. Keep your noggin safe.

4. Floor pump
Suggestions: Serfas Floor Pump or Blackburn Price: $35 and up I myself started with a hand pump. I’d start pumping before every couple of rides and pump until my hands couldn’t. Little did I know, when I finally got a floor pump, I was barely getting to the minimum psi the tire requested. Do yourself a favor… and start with a floor pump.

5. Flat repair kit
Suggestions and our favorites: Saddle bag (Krieg), tire levers (pedros), a spare tube, c02 cartridge/valve (lezyne) or hand pump (lezyne). Price: varies. The last thing you want is to be stranded on the side of a rode in an inconvenient place (especially for you future climbers out there where there’s hardly any service). Flats WILL happen, so be prepared. I rarely get flats myself, but I’m glad I’m able to take care of myself when I’m stuck on the side of the road alone. It didn’t just happen overnight though, youtube was my best friend for a couple of days. Practice makes perfect, don’t wait till you’re in the situation to play figure it out.

6. Lockable skewers
Suggestion: Sunlight Lock N Roll Skewers Price: $25+ Most bike locks can go around one wheel, the frame and around solid unmovable object, leaving the other wheel vulnerable. The skewers come with a unique pattern that is only able to be unlocked with your skewer key. The last thing you want it walk back to your bike and find one of your wheels missing. It’s a sad sight to see trust me.

Accessories for a another day:
Cycling computer and Strava, bike mount, proper clothing, water bottle cages, clips and shoes.

I think I can speak for the more serious cyclists when I say we like (try) to be as comfortable as possible. We like the clothing. It keeps us cool (or warm), takes care of the sweat, has pockets in the back for snacks (and stuff)… the proper comfortable clothing can make a worlds difference and the same goes for cycling shoes and pedals. It can double your output when you’re able to use a full spin to its potential. For the most part, if you’re willing to get the outfit, have the shoes, and get water bottle cages for easy access to drinks… you probably ride more than the average joe. By then, you’ll probably be curious if you’re getting faster, stronger, how many calories you burn, etc., and there’s a computer AND an app for that. Cycling computers keep track of the average mph, top speeds, climbing grades, distance traveled and so on. Strava does all of that for you as well, but doesn’t need to live on a cycling computer. Strava can come as an app on your phone and record you live. It keeps track of your PR’s (personal records) and segments BUT, using it on your phone isn’t always accurate. It kills your battery and if you don’t have unlimited data, this app is not your friend. These are not the rules of cycling, and we do not speak for every cyclist in existence, but through trial and error, these are just some of things we’ve learned.